Politicians love to argue their points (I have a hunch they’re playing Devil’s Advocate half the time). They like to take sides and draw lines in the proverbial sand. Many of them claim to stand for the same things, yet it’s their actions that resonate long after the words are spoken. It’s refreshing, then, not to mention very uplifting, to come across an issue that all parties and individuals can get behind: renewable energy.
President Obama’s stance on renewable energy is no secret. And his plans are slowly gearing into place, starting with tax cuts, incentives and long-term policies. The real news, however, lies in who is also getting behind the words with their actions, and who has taken it upon themselves to prompt Obama into more concrete measures. Enter Harry Reid, senate Majority Leader, John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund, and good old T. Boone Pickens, oil tycoon turned renewable energy advocate. At a recent press conference in Washington, the three released a letter addressed to President Obama along with a policy research paper, “Wired for Progress 2.0: Building a National Clean-Energy Smart Grid,” urging the new president to take action.
The letter underlines that while these three and the president hail from very different backgrounds, policies, and areas of experience and success, it would be beneficial on an economic, environmental and social level to integrate a renewable energy grid system throughout the country. Starting with “rewiring the electricity grid to facilitate large-scale use of renewable energy,” among other things, the three writers supported building a new infrastructure and “smart grid” which will distribute power from solar and wind energy suppliers to the rest of the United States. As well as helping Obama to deliver on his promise of a greener future, the proposed grid is portrayed as a viable method of job creation, economic revitalization and national security, as it eliminates a reliance on foreign fuels.
Here’s a quick view of the four guidelines that were outlined in the research paper:
- The new grid must be “well planned,” built on a existing infrastructure, integrate the opinions of all states, and function on a national level
- Strong authorities will be required to oversee the grid with equal commitment from local authorities, and the grid must be seen through to completion
- Local participation is encouraged and costs must be shared nationally
- The smart grid must be green and “built for the purpose of transitioning to low carbon energy”